Recent Naruto Manga (Chapters 400+)

[Doubleshadow]

I found this chapter a let down, to say the least. I found it boring, and the use new techniques, forgive my lapse in vocabulary, stupid. I don't forsee any improvements coming soon.

[blkmage]

I guess 437 is a good enough chapter as any to revive this thread.
[spoiler]So I guess people do die in Naruto now. Again, a bit sudden. So how many is that this arc now?[/spoiler]

[LadyRushia]

For once Hinata was awesome in a fighting kind of way. This has to be the last arc, XD. I think the count is three or so.

[MasterDias]

I'm waiting until we see a body, or have an actual verbal confirmation from a reliable character. I confess I'm always suspicious whenever someone is apparently killed offscreen.

That said Hinata did look pretty cool in this chapter.

[kaji]

I feel the same way MasterDias. I need confirmation on something like this before I lose hope. Though if its true, I have to say I am a bit disappointed.

Maybe its just my western way of thinking, but I have a hard time believing an author can really get away with killing so many main characters in one swoop, without a catch.

At any rate. I was happy that Hinata stepped in. She was the only female ninja I liked in the series, and to see her finally voice her emotions was nice (and her stance/expression art was nicely done, she looked very sure about her self for the first time). After all, she may have never gotten another chance.

I am anxious to see what is next.

[MasterDias]

Well, I think the problem in this case is that Kishimoto always seemed so hesitant to actually kill off anyone important before. Neji and Chouji survived what should have been fatal injuries back in Part I, and made everyone convinced his characters were near-immortal.

Also, I don't think I've seen you posting in awhile, kaji.
Welcome back?

[LadyRushia]

Nine tails appear an Yondaime shows up. This is interesting.

[Bobtheduck]

If naruto is nine tails, doesn't that mean the fox is completely released from his body, and Naruto is basically dead? Of course, I know that's not the case (ex machina) but I thought that was established before.

[kaji]

Also, I don't think I've seen you posting in awhile, kaji.
Welcome back?

Thanks. I have been very busy with school, as of late (only two semesters to go!). Though its nice to see some familiar faces around the old stomping grounds (and some new ones too). ^_~

As for the most recent Naruto development, it would stand to reason that if all nine tales were out, that the fox would be completely revived and Naruto a goner. But they didnt show all nine tales, only Yamato's warning that it was happening. It certainly did seem seconds away. But hey, its a ninja manga, they are all about bending the rules and reality... I mean non-reality... I mean fiction... I mean... Anyway, I think its nice that Yondaime gets a little more ink-time before the series ends. He has been hyped up as the super-ninja since the series began.

On another note. Pain looks pretty well done for. I always kinda thought that the fox would be the final antagonist, but it seems a bit early to deal with him... I wonder what ever happened to the 8 tails. He just ran away and that it!?!? I think we still have a lot to resolve here... And thats fine with me. ^_^

[Bobtheduck]

You think he's gonna [spoiler]kill pain[/spoiler], and then... BAM! Another flashback.

I just want to get to the end of this darned story already...

[LadyRushia]

No matter what ends up happening, I think there's going to be at least one more arc after this. There's still Madara and Sasuke to deal with.

[Bobtheduck]

No matter what ends up happening, I think there's going to be at least one more arc after this. There's still Madara and Sasuke to deal with.

Of course, but we can't deal with them until we've dealed with Pain

And, rememeber, there's still Kabutimaru, too... He's just sort of lingering... On the (most likely) good side, The killer bee is still out there somewhere, and the village of the sand hasn't shown up in this whole mess... Gaara may not have a tailed beast anymore, but he's still quite powerful (I think, anyhow... Though I suppose it hasn't been established)

I'm sure when Sasuke's time comes, it'll involve 10 issues of flashbacks...

So, still, I wish they'd stop that and just end the darn series...

[MasterDias]

And if Danzo makes a power play for Konoha, that's another potential arc right there.

[LadyRushia]

Dang, I forgot about Danzo. Murr, just when I thought this series was relatively close to coming to an end. :\

[Doubleshadow]

Dang, I forgot about Danzo. Murr, just when I thought this series was relatively close to coming to an end. :\

I have the distinct feeling we're looking a more loose ends than a shag carpet.

[Bobtheduck]

wai hullo new chapter. We totally wanted moar flashbacks even when we could totally see this lil (prolly gonna morph into a mini-monster) sob story coming from ages away.

Yeah... At least the flashback is over now, but [spoiler]He's NOT going to kill Pain... Are they really trying to make another Gaara? I'm sorry, Nagato is a terrible Gaara type... I just can't see that working this time around.[/spoiler]

[Doubleshadow]

Hmm.

Well, I am surprised, but not impressed. :\ To quote the venerable UC: "Meh."

[LadyRushia]

Maybe Nagato is going to die anyway. I mean, he's pretty much skin and bones at this point.

[wildpurplechild]

I was so sad in Nagato's flashback when they killed Tiny the dog!

[Bobtheduck]

Wow... Kishimoto just officially killed the series for me... Mother of all deus ex machinas... They pulled a (CAA inappropriate) DBZ... I will never be able to take this series seriously again.

[sharikqah]

Wow... Kishimoto just officially killed the series for me... Mother of all deus ex machinas...

Actually when I first read it I thought it was a rather slipshod conclusion to something that was a great arc.

But truthfully (and attempting to be not out of topic), I'd rather look at what Kishimoto is trying to say, given the extreme focus on philosophy, war & suffering in these last few manga chapters.

Is a Deus Ex Machina (an act of God) the only way to restore peace, in both the fantasy & the real worlds?

[foolishbunny]

yep naruto is dying T_T

whao cool chapter today XD

[uc pseudonym]

Called it (post 1084). Not that saying a popular character is alive means very much.

So much for this arc. I wish that once, just once, the series would have more than one thing going on at the same time. But no, now it's time for another Sasuke arc, potentially the last. I'm not expecting much.

Also, note: Konan did nothing and now it looks like she's leaving.

But truthfully (and attempting to be not out of topic), I'd rather look at what Kishimoto is trying to say, given the extreme focus on philosophy, war & suffering in these last few manga chapters.

Is a Deus Ex Machina (an act of God) the only way to restore peace, in both the fantasy & the real worlds?

I think it is actually the minor bits of philosophy that make this conclusion so unfulfilling. The suffering of war is taken away and the status quo will probably be restored within a few chapters. If this conclusion had ended with something other than Naruto converting another villain, perhaps I would have become interested in the series. But this is a cheap way out, boiling down to a few simplistic philosophies. Basically, I think it's meaningless for the characters to talk about the horrors of war if they haven't given any real consideration as to how to avoid them.

[LadyRushia]

Kishimoto hates killing characters. -_- This Sasuke arc better be the last one of the series.

[wildpurplechild]

Ok magic life reviving techinue is a little too crazy, but then again there was Sasuke's time portal thing O_o I like the series but I think Kishi's running out of ideas...

[sharikqah]

But this is a cheap way out, boiling down to a few simplistic philosophies.

What I'm more interested in is how Kishimoto started condensing Akatsuki down from a wannabe terrorist group to one man's messiah complex. Simplistic philosophies are, if I might say, consistent with character development in Naruto: bits & pieces of existentialist thought, which end up getting over-personalized, then eventually overcome with a simple (not simplistic) Naruto Uzumaki worldview.

Basically, I think it's meaningless for the characters to talk about the horrors of war if they haven't given any real consideration as to how to avoid them.

Heh heh.

Isn't that what everyone talks about everyday in the real world? Reading this latest chapter & your comments is actually like reading a day's worth of editorial opinions in a newspaper. (Not that they're bad, they're just diverse)

I think the fact that that neither one has any solution/ resolution makes Pein/ Nagato's position in the entire story even more pointless. It also makes his conversion even more confusing.

But what is certain - is that both character & story got so entwined that only something like a Deus Ex Machina could solve the problem without a hero's death.

[Bobtheduck]

If nothing else, this huge... well, butt pull makes me solidify my own rules about my writing...

1. I'll keep PEOPLE as realistic as I have the ability to, while being more loose with the laws of physics and such. I'm fine with the crazy laws of physics bending, because it's FANTASY. What I'm not fine with is... well, THIS...

2. The story will progress in a way that feels natural, wherever possible. Yeah, there's a big story to get to, but I need to make getting there at least mostly make sense.

3. I won't pretend I understand relationships. In Naruto's case, I thought that at least Naruto and Sakura and some of the others were being handled decently, but there are some things that ruin it... like

4. If someone is saved from death, there will be a darned good reason for it. It will be established OR AT LEAST STRONGLY HINTED AT before, and it will fit the rules of my world. I was ok with Gaara. I really was. It was one person, and it was made clear this is NOT normal. Which of course fits in better with my 5th rule

5. When people die... THEY WILL STAY DEAD! Yeah, it's a bit ironic this coming from a Christian. I do believe in resurrection, but I believe it's a rare and outstanding thing. Not something just used to bring someone back because the audience didn't want them to die... Ok, so I've given allowances for some of my favorite characters in fiction coming back (*coughMetalGearcough*)... But I guess this issue of Naruto was just the last straw...

I had just gotten done showing "The Dark Knight" to my parents when I read that, and I had to explain to them that I felt that [spoiler]Rachel's Death[/spoiler] was a high point of the movie... I was actually deep in thought about the reality of people dying who, maybe, weren't "supposed" to die. People like Kakashi. People like Hinata. People like Shizune People like Juraiya, who... is still dead, I suppose, but still. that doesn't make the others any better. I'd rather they never have died than have them die and come back for no real reason... This is the epitome of weak, patronizing storytelling.

For some reason I feel that the original end of Sailormoon was much better than this, because at least the silver crystal death + heart's wish mechanic was both explained prior, it was a genuine twist that relied on Sailormoon having a heart's desire slightly different than her mother's, and it STILL had a grave cost... The cost of their memories and lives together (pre the corporate forced expansion of the series, I mean)

6. I don't believe in fanservice... IN fact, I may throw some fan disservice into my stories... Maybe that's just as bad, but it's my story, darn it!

7. I will never write a list that has exactly 6 items on it.

[uc pseudonym]

What I'm more interested in is how Kishimoto started condensing Akatsuki down from a wannabe terrorist group to one man's messiah complex. Simplistic philosophies are, if I might say, consistent with character development in Naruto: bits & pieces of existentialist thought, which end up getting over-personalized, then eventually overcome with a simple (not simplistic) Naruto Uzumaki worldview.

I will stick with simplistic. Naruto's views typically ignore much of the situation at hand, though this isn't the character's fault because the series itself tends to oversimplify. As you noted, there's a tendency to personalize all conflicts.

Isn't that what everyone talks about everyday in the real world? Reading this latest chapter & your comments is actually like reading a day's worth of editorial opinions in a newspaper. (Not that they're bad, they're just diverse)

I believe there are meaningful things that can be said about resolving conflicts, nonviolently or justly (depending on your viewpoint). But if you just mean to say that in not offering much Kishimoto is par for the course, fair point.

[sharikqah]

But if you just mean to say that in not offering much Kishimoto is par for the course, fair point.

My original thought was: if Kishimoto thinks that if a miracle & a 180 degree change of heart is the solution to conflict, he is probably over-idealistic & from a writer's perspective, poor resolving the Naruto vs. Pein saga.

Conversely: as much as it is improbable, in reality a miracle will probably be needed to solve our modern day armed conflicts.

(For the sake of NOT straying off topic, I have simply been trying to apply the relevance of the events in the latest Naruto chapter to modern politics. That's all).

[Bobtheduck]

But if you just mean to say that in not offering much Kishimoto is par for the course, fair point.

Particularly in Japan, where they haven't had a war to deal with since 1945. Simplistic and unrealistic views on war are quite common there, at least for the younger generations.